Meet Toloney Davis, Capri Apprentice

I’m here at the Capri Theater because… my friend Sabrina convinced me to come over here. She knew I was into the arts and that I wanted to be a fashion designer.

She introduced me to Kevin [West]. I told him who I was. Once he heard that I was coming from St. Paul every morning just to be at PYC [Arts & Tech High School] I think he figured I’d be a good apprentice.

The more I came here the more I liked being here. It felt artistic. Everyone here was exploring their talents.

As a Capri Apprentice…I do whatever I can to help out. It’s my job to stay up and focused and to pay attention. You can’t come here with bad vibes.

I get to see many different styles and cultures and it’s opening my mind up about how appearances work and how to present yourself in certain situations.

Miss Greta took me to a costume place in Columbia Heights. There were so many costumes, so much history. It was really an experience.

This program teaches me…about responsibility. It builds character. It brings out parts of me that I never knew I had. It makes me want to do a lot more!

Do you have advice for other students who want to be a Capri Apprentice? Always pay attention. Stay open-minded. Speak up. Project your voice. Be confident. (Yeah, this is straight from Kevin.)

People who support the program…should know that it’s a great opportunity for all youth. It’s a support system. We get results. You can tell by looking at our apprentice group. We learn our lines. We do the work.

Taloney was an actor in this summer’s CAST/Glee program. I never saw myself acting. But the performance on Thursday was a mind-blower. It was complete pressure. I was pacing behind the curtain. But once I stepped out on the stage I got so calm. Everything was hitting in my head at the right moment. I did skip over a whole line, but it turned out OK.

I would act in another play again because of how fun it was and I kind of liked the pressure. And it’s not just you. You’re doing it for everyone. The audience cared enough to show up and it would be rude if you didn’t give the best performance possible. What’s a play without an audience?